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Greetings and welcome to the latest edition of the

CGI Newsletter

Dr. Chris Stout, Editor Gracie Wang, Asst-Editor

Volume IV, Number 9 September 2017

_____News, Tools, Reports and Shout-Outs______

Number One in New Releases in Amazon for three

weeks in a row! And if you write a review on Amazon,

you’ll get a free copy of The Humanitarian Field Guide

Learn from over 60 of the top thought leaders in global health in this important new volume. Edited by Chris Stout, and Foreword by Nobel Please Laureate, Jody Williams. Order your copy today: http://tinyurl.com/WhyGlobalHealthMattersAtAmazon

Please note we need honest reviews of people who have actually read the book (OK, or at least most of it ). If you‘re interested, here are the details: 1. Write the review of the book at Amazon.com (in your own name please)

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2. When you have completed the review, send an e-mail with a screen shot or link of your review to WhyGlobalHealthMatters@gmail.com and we’ll email you back a link to access your free electronic version “Humanitarian Field Guide: Ideas, Inspiration, Methods and Tools.” We’re making free copies available to the first 50 reviews, so you’d better get going…

UN World Food Programme launches Fighting Famine campaign The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a Fighting Famine campaign to warn about the severe food crisis that puts 20 million people at risk of dying of hunger in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and the northeast of Nigeria. In these places, 1.4 million children are suffering from severe malnutrition and their lives are at risk. To support the campaign, visit: http://www1.wfp.org/fighting-famine

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Call for submissions: submit your project for the Solutions Summit (deadline: August 24) The Solutions Summit, led by the UN Foundation, the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) and the Global Innovation Exchange, invites individuals and groups who are developing innovative solutions that address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to submit their project to be considered for inclusion in the Summit, which will take place at the UN headquarters in New York during the UN General Assembly high-level week in September. The deadline to submit a solution is August 24, 2017. (Read more...)

Guterres receives proposals on a strengthened UN-Habitat An independent panel reviewing the effectiveness of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has proposed the program be recast as the UN's "urban champion," including through the establishment of a coordinating mechanism to complement its work and convene all UN agencies and partners on urban sustainability. (Read more...)

UN holds Intergenerational Dialogues on the SDGs On August 1, the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and NGO/DPI Executive Committee co-hosted the event, "Intergenerational Dialogues on the Sustainable Development Goals," at the UN in New York to raise awareness of the value that youth and older persons can bring to the implementation of the SDGs. (Read more...)

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___Award, Grant, Funding, Ed. & Job Opportunities___ Full-Time Fly By Light Program Facilitator, One Community Unity, DC OCU is currently interviewing DC-area educators-artists to facilitate our Fly By Light youth program in District of Columbia Public Schools. Fly By Light facilitators are each stationed within two schools, to serve as an embedded faculty member on two full school-days per week at each school, from roughly 8:00AM to 4:00PM. Facilitators also dedicate a full day each week in the OCU office to engage in facilitator meetings, trainings, and to complete required administrative duties. Some Fly By Light schools will also offer after-school programs twice weekly, on site between 3:00PM – 6:00PM. In addition, our annual summer retreats are held in July and/or August. Facilitators are required to attend and help lead at least one summer retreat each year.

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Facilitators will use the Fly By Light curriculum as a guide in helping students learn about the arts and integrate lessons on emotional literacy and social justice. Artist-educators will have creative control over individual workshops, but must adhere to the program requirements as determined by the Program Director, Managing Director and Executive Director. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/one-common-unity-washington-d-c-18-full-time-fly-by-light-program-facilitator/ Research and Events Internship, WITNESS, Brooklyn, NY – Fall 2017 The External Relations Department works closely with grassroots organizations and innovative programs to help expose the truth and champion human rights by engaging and cultivating our philanthropic community. We secure financial support for WITNESS through a major gifts program,

foundations, corporation, an annual fund campaign, and a program of special events including: programmatic panels, dinners, house parties and larger fundraising benefits. This is a unique opportunity for a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and intelligent individual to hone their research, communication, and event planning skills while building hands-on development/fundraising experience. Working closely with the Individual Philanthropy Associate

and the External Relations Manager, the Research and Events Intern will help us expand and deepen our relationships with our community, strengthening our ability to create meaningful change all over the world. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/witness-brooklyn-ny-8638-research-and-events-internship-fall-2017/ LeadIN Core Leadership Development Program, Washington, DC Do you live in the Washington, DC area? Would you like to grow your leadership? Apply for the LeadIN Core program by August 25th! LeadIN brings people together to learn, share and grow their leadership. In a nutshell, LeadIN core is a 10-week community program that brings together professionals of diverse fields, backgrounds and experiences to learn and mold their unique leadership. Each group is intentionally kept small (between 8-12 individuals) to create an intimate and interactive learning environment. Each LeadIN cohort builds a culture of trust, ownership and collective commitment to the success of all. Participants hear diverse perspectives, share best practices, and provide one another with encouragement, support and accountability. They become stronger and more effective leaders by tapping into the diverse collective experience and wisdom of the group. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people, raise your self-awareness and build tangible skills to grow your leadership. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/leadin-washington-dc-11057-leadin-core-leadership-development-program-2/

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Associate Director for Press Freedom, Democracy Fund, DC Democracy Fund’s Public Square program focuses on sustaining a vibrant media and engaged citizens. We believe the American people must have effective ways to understand and be a part of the democratic process. As the internet transforms political life, it opens exciting new pathways for public engagement while challenging models that used to work. We seek to support media models that serve the needs and preferences of communities today as well as taking on challenges related to sustainability and press freedom. Earlier this year, the Democracy Fund announced more than $10 million in commitments in support of press freedom and hard-hitting, nonprofit journalism. We are

now seeking an Associate Director for Press Freedom to create and lead a new initiative around ensuring the future of a free and functioning press that holds government accountable. The Associate Director, who will report to the Director of the Democracy Fund’s Public Square program, will be expected to quickly engage with the field to ensure that it is able to stand up for the rights of journalists to fulfill their rightful

role in our democracy at this important moment in our nation’s history. This will include working to build a larger, more effective coalition of advocates and ensure that key leaders in the field have the resources they need to be effective. In parallel, the Associate Director will work with the Public Square team to develop and execute a long-term strategy to strengthen press freedom in the United States. The strategy development process will consider the broadest range of possibilities and the strategy itself is expected to include both grant making and deep engagement within the field. Candidates must be comfortable working in a small, highly collaborative team within a fast-paced, start-up environment. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/128538/ Programme Officer – Women in Power, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) is currently inviting women from Asia Pacific countries with relevant experience and skills to apply for the position of Programme Officer. The successful applicant will work with our committed team and membership to cultivate feminist movements, environmental and climate justice, democratic accountability and development justice. She will support grassroots women’s movements to elaborate women’s political demands, and increase their civic participation and political impact. APWLD is a regional network of women’s organisations and activists in Asia Pacific, committed to women’s human rights and feminist movements. APWLD’s members are drawn from 26 countries and the secretariat is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. If you are deeply committed to supporting feminist, progressive movements and challenging structural globalised inequalities, please consider applying to join our powerful team! For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/programme-officer-women-power/

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Young African Research Fellowship- DRC, Search for Common Ground Search for Common Ground DRC is offering a Fellowship Opportunity open to a Congolese Graduate Student interested in community violence in DRC. The fellow will work with Search’s team focused on issues preventing and addressing violent conflict in Eastern DRC. Program participants have the opportunity to make a direct impact while also pursuing their own research. The program is ideal for candidates seeking to deepen their professional exposure as part of an ongoing research

project, whether as part of a thesis, dissertation, or another form of research endeavor. Working with Search research and program teams, our fellow gain a wide variety of skills where s/He is given the

opportunity to learn and flourish. Fellow should expect to spend approximately 40% of her/his time in field directly supporting Search for Common Ground activities and 60% pursuing independently her/his research. Early applications are highly recommended as the selection process is on a rolling basis. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/search-for-common-ground-goma-democratic-republic-of-congo-15224-young-african-research-fellowship-drc/ Financial Analyst at Dharma Life, New Delhi, India Dharma Life works on social causes including access to clean energy, indoor air pollution, safe drinking water, nutrition, female hygiene, and digital literacy. At present, Dharma Life has a network of 11,000+ entrepreneurs in 12 states that have provided products to 2.5 million consumers and services to 5 million beneficiaries in 30,000+ villages. We aim to reach 50 million rural consumers through a network of 100,000 DLEs, comprising 50% women entrepreneurs. Dharma Life is looking for a smart and dedicated Financial Analyst to lead the organization to its next expansion phase. Reporting directly to the CEO, in this role you will responsible for financial strategy, business insights and project execution across the organization. This is an extremely exciting but demanding role that will require coordination across multiple stakeholders and financial modeling on some of the country’s biggest problems. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/dharma-life-new-delhi-india-18-financial-analyst-at-dharma-life/ Stakeholder Relations Manager, Transparentem, NY Transparentem is a discreet, non-profit unit that adopts frontline investigative reporting and forensic methods in compliance with international ethical standards to illuminate supply chains and spur eradication of human and environmental abuses. We are a public service initiative that believes securing and improving the lives and environments of workers at all tiers of off-shored industry must start with independent, methodical inquiry. We are seeking a Stakeholder Relations Manager, who

will report to the Director of Stakeholder Relations. The stakeholder relations team serves as the public face of Transparentem and delivers the results of its investigations to relevant brands,

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retailers, and importers, as well as to investors, regulators, and select journalists and advocacy organizations. The team plays a key role in shaping Transparentem’s brand engagement strategy and serves as an in-house industry expert to the rest of the organization. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/transparentem-new-york-18-stakeholder-relations-manager/ Board of Director Member, EOTO World EOTO World is an e-organization that provides capacity building for human rights activists to strengthen the work of eradicating poverty and promoting a culture of peace. For in-depth information about us, please visit https://eotoworld.org. The Board will support the work of EOTO World through strategic governance and fundraising. Whereas day-to-day operations are led by the Executive Director [ED], the Board-ED relationship is a partnership where the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected. Board Member responsibilities are carried out within committees, where each member serves on a minimum of 2 committees. As an e-organization, Board members should be comfortable working remotely; duties are performed where ever members are located in the world. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/job/eoto-world-remote-8898-board-of-director-member/

_____Conferences, Courses, and Meetings _____ Training Course On Promoting Entrepreneurship And Agribusiness Development September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 To build the capacity of Development professionals who are actively engaged in the Agriculture and food security activities in governmental and non-governmental organizations need to support efforts in improving survival rates of Agribusinesses that currently have a high rate of failure. Entrepreneurship

and Agribusiness Development are the best hope for reviving weak world economies. Entrepreneurs cannot do it alone; they need an enabling environment in which their business can grow. This course is designed to give insights into the basic requirements for increasing the level of entrepreneurship in communities at local and national levels. This course will provide hands-on training in Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness Development and the application of Knowledge to decision making in

Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness Development planning and Management. Training that will enable the learner to know how to address these challenges. It focuses on the things entrepreneurs

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care most about, and that ultimately affect their bottom line: How to raise money, make money, save money and help others to do so. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-promoting-entrepreneurship-and-agribusiness-development-10/ Training Course On GIS and Statistical Analysis for WASH Programmes September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 Integration of GIS technologies in WASH programs boosts the implementation of target-based interventions because it aids in the construction of a model of the complex environment in a straightforward way that you can understand. The continuation of developments in free open source GIS software for web and desktop applications has opened doors for many possibilities in the practice of capturing and processing of geographical information, as well as publishing maps on the internet. With this program, Public health practitioners, Program Manager, Environmentalist, Monitoring and Evaluation Experts, Civil Engineers, risk assessors, quantitative health geographers, epidemiologists, exposure scientists, and students can gain front-line skills on project planning and design, advocacy and accountability, and monitoring and evaluation. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-gis-and-statistical-analysis-for-wash-programmes/ Training course on Participatory M&E for Rural Development and Community Managed Programmes September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 This course enables participants to broaden their understanding of participatory monitoring and evaluation as a support program management at various levels, and a tool for enhancing local capacity,

participation, and people’s confidence and control over development processes and decisions. The training will delve into concepts and principles of participatory monitoring and evaluation as well as the different methods and techniques that have already been tested in the field. The course is most suitable to individuals involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluation such as project managers, research officers, extension workers, community facilitators, and advocacy workers with at least two years of direct experience in planning, implementation, or management of activities. Participants will be

required to produce information materials describing their experience. English proficiency is another requirement. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-participatory-me-for-rural-development-and-community-managed-programmes-3/

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Training Course on Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation with MS Project September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 In the contemporary era, multilateral agencies, funding bodies, and boards of private companies are necessary to ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation of projects. Effective project monitoring permits a venture group to settle on suitable choices on an everyday basis and guarantees that tasks are done as arranged and changed when vital. Fruitful projects and programs start from a pre-arranged arrangement of exercises and occasions. In any case, things rarely work out precisely as arranged. Administrators should thus intermittently monitor selected indicators and measure performance amid usage so they can make opportune modifications where important, and also along these lines decide the degree to which the program or venture achieved its objectives. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-project-management-monitoring-and-evaluation-with-ms-project-4/ Training Course on Research Design, Data Management, Analysis and Use September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 The type of research design, philosophical assumptions, and methodologies used by a researcher are key determinants of the outcome and the validity of a particular research. In order to carry out and evaluate any research, it is necessary to embrace and come up with appropriate data management strategies, analysis, design, methodology, inferences, and reporting standards for informed decision

making. Without appropriately choosing the best of these elements, the entire research process can be distorted leading to incorrect data and inaccurate reporting. What is more, inaccurate scientific findings are bound to mislead readers and may even negatively impact the perception of research in the eyes of the public. The aim of their training is to ensure that the participants gain knowledge on key elements of research including design & methodology, analysis, data management, inferences and reporting of research findings. The course targets participants who

wish to carry out research or gain essential skills on how to conduct research including applicants from the following fields: Social, Food Security and Livelihoods, Agriculture, Medical or public health professionals, Education, Economics, Nutrition, among others. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-research-design-data-management-analysis-and-use/

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Training Course on Value Chain Development And Market Linkages September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 This approach combines the strengths of value chain analysis with the promotion of sustainable, market-based solutions (MBSs) that respond to the recurrent needs of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including farmers. Value chain analysis is important in understanding markets, inter-firm relationships, and critical constraints that limit growth and industry competitiveness. Collaboration among private sector and market actors to address value chain constraints can result in MBS that are sustainable in the long run and that do not distort local markets. This training course aims at guiding participants towards development of sustainable value chains. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-value-chain-development-and-market-linkages-6/ Training Course on Qualitative Data Management and Analysis with NVIVO September 4 @ 8:00 Am - October 9 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 Qualitative research is the perfect approach to deepening our understanding of different phenomenon. In the recent past, a large number of qualitative studies have been carried out. This type research produces large amounts data in textual format. Most of this data is collected using field notes

and transcripts. In order to draw inferences, a lot of rigorous and time-consuming work. This course participants to lessen this burden by introducing them to NVivo. NVivo is a software with helpful features such as rich tech capabilities, character-based coding, and multimedia functions that are important for managing qualitative data. The training targets

participants who wish to analyze rich and jam-packed qualitative data including individuals from the following fields: Sociology, Education, Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihoods, Economics, Medical or public health professionals, and Nutrition, among others. No prior Knowledge is required. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-qualitative-data-management-and-analysis-with-nvivo/ Training Course on Basic Skills In Javascript, Css, Html September 4 @ 8:00 Am - September 8 @ 5:00 Pm | $1000 Professional web design does not only require the understanding of user’s needs but also obliges the designer to have the relevant skills of crafting websites which adequately meet those needs. This interactive short course considers this fact by selecting the handiest aspects of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in order to impart valuable web design skills to participants. Throughout the course, you will learn how to use each of these languages as well as how to combine their power when creating responsive websites. Our facilitators will interact with you one-on-one so that you are always on track. The course is most beneficial to web developers, web designers, as well as anyone wishing to design, make, or maintain their own websites. For more information, see https://pcdnetwork.org/event/training-course-on-basic-skills-in-javascript-css-html/

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_____Dr. Greg Martin’s Latest on Global Health _____ Dr. Martin offers a playlist dealing specifically with various interest areas and potential employers; subscribe to his YouTube channel for more career advice and a wealth of other subjects. Catch his latest episode here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLujS9ooBebKWoeoCHUNBmni8ph26P5PdY

_____Newsletter in a Newsletter _____

INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY NEWS BULLETIN

This is from our dear friends at APA’s Office of International Affairs. To send information items for the International news bulletin please write to

international@apa.org

OTHER Join CIRP’s Project! APA’s Committee on International Relations in Psychology (CIRP) is looking for examples of challenges and successes in international research, teaching and application. Please share your experiences in a short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CIRPInternationalExperiences.

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Join the APA UN listserv APAUnitedNations@lists.apa.org offers information on upcoming UN events. To join this announcement-only list, send an email with the subject line blank and the following in the body of the message: subscribe APAUNITEDNATIONS YourFirstName, YourLastName (e.g., subscribe APAUNITEDNATIONS John Doe) to listserv@lists.apa.org. Consider Sharing Your International Experiences in the Psychology International Newsletter: http://www.apa.org/international/pi/index.aspx. Contact the newsletter editor at international@apa.org. INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES Visit the APA Affiliates Corner Page: http://www.apa.org/international/outreach/initiatives/affiliate-membership/international-affiliate-corner.aspx American Psychological Foundation APF offers numerous grants, scholarships, and fellowships supporting projects and programs that use psychology to solve social problems. For more information, please visit: http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/index.aspx.

INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES Visit the APA Affiliates Corner Page: http://www.apa.org/international/outreach/initiatives/affiliate-membership/international-affiliate-corner.aspx OTHER Join the APA UN listserv APAUnitedNations@lists.apa.org offers information on upcoming UN events. To join send an email with the subject line blank and the following in the body of the message: subscribe APAUNITEDNATIONS YourFirstName, YourLastName (e.g., subscribe APAUNITEDNATIONS John Doe) to listserv@lists.apa.org.

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JOIN GlobalΨYExpo!

GlobalΨExpo is a database of psychologists with experience outside the United States, organized by substantive areas of expertise and geographical areas of experience. GlobalΨExpo is maintained by the APA Office of International Affairs. To join, please

see: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1092996/Global-Expo

Follow international news on twitter: @APA_Intl For more announcements visit http://www.apa.org/international/resources/announcements.aspx Sign-up for FREE APA newsletters: http://www.apa.org/support/opt-in.aspx OTHER Consider Sharing Your International Experiences in the Psychology International Newsletter:http://www.apa.org/international/pi/index.aspx. Contact the newsletter editor at international@apa.org JOIN THE WHO Global Network Mental health and primary care professionals are invited to join the GLOBAL CLINICAL PRACTICE NETWORK (GCPN). This is a network of more than 12,202 mental health researchers, clinicians and practitioners in 143 countries. GCPN registration takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. For more information, please visit: http://www.globalclinicalpractice.net/en/ Consider Sharing Your International Experiences in the Psychology International Newsletter: http://www.apa.org/international/pi/index.aspx. Contact the newsletter editor at international@apa.org Sign-up for FREE APA newsletters: http://www.apa.org/support/opt-in.aspx Follow international news on twitter: @APA_Intl For more announcements visit http://www.apa.org/international/resources/announcements.aspx Washington, DC 20002 Phone: 202-336-6025 | Fax: 202-312-6499 Email: international@apa.org | www.apa.org/international

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________Humanitarian Field Guide __________

“Change the World” It always struck me that saying that sounded a lot like grandiose hubris, or at best, a dauntingly overwhelming task. The utter impossibility of it seemed certain until I realized that it can mean

helping one person at a time. That is a theme you’ll see throughout this book and our websites and our work. I have added some of my LinkedIn Influencer blogs/essays that I hope may be inspirational, also. The format of this book is inspired by Brian Eno’s A Year with Swollen Appendices, not so much the diary aspect but rather the

overwhelmingly large collection of information in the various appendices. Open-Sourced Humanitarian Interventionism It’s long been my goal to make life easier for those working in humanitarian and volunteer endeavors, as well as those in need of help. Indeed, in one way or another, we all need help in one form or another. So, just about everything you find herein and on the Center’s website, is free of charge, and a lot you could also find for yourself. What I’ve tried to do is speed up the search, vet what has been found, and then curate the results, making them as readily and easily available as I know how to. This is my dream of open-sourcing humanitarian work. Current Content, For Pretty Close To Forever The reason for this “reverse engineering” is twofold. First, the amount of content and links on the Center’s website may not always be apparent to the novel user. This book allows for near complete exposure to the functional tools and content that await the online user. Second, this book will never be out-of-date, in that when new content becomes available via uploads to the DropBox account, you’ll be able to read that as well. All you have to do is email me and ask to be linked. I curate the content constantly. You can also request being added to our mailing list via my email address as well if you’d like to be kept up-to-date on events and other relevant content. All proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to the Center for Global Initiatives. Available at Amazon and on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Humanitarian-Field-Guide-Inspiration-Resources/dp/1500535079

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_____Zika, Infectious Disease, and More…_____ Aggregated News Reports from: Global Health NOW is an initiative of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, www.jhsph.edu. Views and opinions expressed in this email do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School. Created by Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Maryalice Yakutchik, Jackie Frank and Salma Warshanna-Sparklin. You can connect with them at: bsimpso1@jhu.edu EBOLA

Learned Response Lessons learned from the Ebola crisis that killed thousands in Sierra Leone just a few years ago are proving vital after last week’s deadly mudslides. With a stock of leftover supplies and community members trained in emergency response, the community is reacting swiftly with the safe burial of bodies and quick treatment of survivors in hopes of avoiding a cholera outbreak. “During Ebola, we had a lot of community engagement,” says former Ebola coordinator Sidi Tunis. “They knew how to do search and rescues, they knew how to convey corpses safely to the morgue … Reactivating the whole response structure was very easy for us.” Buzzfeed Related: Disability among Ebola survivors and their close contacts in Sierra Leone: a retrospective case-controlled cohort study. – Clinical Infectious Diseases (Oxford) Related: Relationship between viremia and specific organ damage in Ebola patients: a cohort study – Clinical Infectious Diseases (Oxford) HEALTH INSURANCE

Children Caught in the Fray In 2015, Florida removed more than 13,000 children—“the sickest and most vulnerable,” argues one physician—from a well-respected and comprehensive Medicaid plan called Children’s Medical Services. Two years later, physicians and families are still reeling, and seething, in response. Experts say flawed methods were used to determine ineligibility, and even after families won a court case reversing the decision, parents weren’t informed they could re-apply. Worst of all, many children couldn’t access much-needed care. "This was a way for the politicians to repay [insurance companies] that had contributed to their

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political campaigns, and it's the children who suffered," says Dr. Louis St. Petery, voicing a suspicion of many critics. CNN SUICIDE

Easy Access Rural men are killing themselves at a greater rate than urban men, and new research in the American Journal of Public Health suggests why: greater access to guns. By examining 6,196 Maryland residents who took their lives between 2003 and 2015, researchers concluded that the major difference was not, as a CDC report posited last year, “limited access to mental health care, social isolation, and the opioid overdose epidemic,” but instead to a rural firearm culture. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US, and the 2015 rate was the highest in 30 years. “Suicides are going up,” says lead author Paul Nestadt, “and firearms are a big reason why." Pacific Standard Related: Gun Sellers Join Forces To Curb Suicide-By-Firearm, Rampant In Rural Areas – Kaiser Health News YELLOW FEVER

Tracking the Virus Following an outbreak of yellow fever in Brazil last year with nearly 800 confirmed cases, scientists are closely monitoring the health of one harbinger of the virus: monkeys. "The death of monkeys from yellow fever is the first warning,” says primatologist Jùlio Bicca-Marques. The relationship between monkeys, mosquitoes and humans can help predict the trajectory of outbreaks. And while there is an effective vaccine against yellow fever, it is primarily used in areas where the virus is endemic—and during outbreaks supplies have run short. This leaves scientists to keep close vigil. "If we can't stop outbreaks with yellow fever, we're in a lot of trouble with other outbreaks," says WHO adviser Jon Abramson. Science Related: Yellow fever vaccination: estimating coverage – The Lancet Infectious Diseases (Comment) Related: Assessment of risk of dengue and yellow fever virus transmission in three major Kenyan cities based on Stegomiya indices – PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases WATER

What’s in the Pipes? Tens of millions of Americans—especially those in small, low-income and minority communities—are drinking contaminated water, according to a News21 analysis of water violations from the US EPA.

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High-profile cases of lead contamination in Milwaukee, Wis. and Flint, Mich., overshadow the fact that water problems also plague pockets of poverty in such states as Louisiana, Texas and North Carolina. Advocates see a connection between neglect of infrastructure, lack of funding and the racial make-up of the communities. “For someone to say that there’s not a correlation to me means they have their eyes closed,” said Mustafa Ali, who formerly worked for environmental justice at the EPA. News21 ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Unleash the Phages Researchers successfully applied bacteriophage therapy—which uses harmless phages, viruses that replicate within bacteria—to help a 68-year-old diabetic patient with necrotizing pancreatitis and a multidrug-resistant infection return to health. Bacteriophage therapy holds promise as scientists look to combat other increasingly common MDR bacterial pathogens that have gained ground with the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and clinical medicine. In this case, researchers at 2 labs identified 9 different bacteriophages that were administered via IV and in the patient’s abscesses. This cleared the MDR infection and led to the patient’s recovery. Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy Related: Overcoming the last line of antibiotic resistance against bacterial infections – Frontiers via ScienceDaily Related: New superbug-fighting antibiotics found in human breast milk – New Atlas ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Lethal Lotion Chemicals in sunscreen are destroying coral reefs, says author Peggy Orenstein in an opinion piece for the New York Times. Among the research she cites: a 2008 Environmental Health Perspectives studyshowing that coral samples were decimated within hours of exposure to sunscreen from volunteers’ hands and a 2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology report that found one chemical in particular, oxybenzone, is as ubiquitous as it is hazardous, “threatening resiliency” of the world’s reefs. Solutions include legislation banning formulas with hazardous chemicals and using natural sunscreens or sun-protective clothing like rash guards. New York Times

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TECH AND INNOVATION

A Helping Hand For many of the 2-5 million amputees worldwide, prosthetic limbs are but an expensive and inaccessible dream. 21-year-old Sudanese engineering student Ashraf Mizo wants to change that. Mizo has created simple, inexpensive prosthetics using 3-D printing technology and machine learning. Harnessing the electrical signals from an amputee’s brain, he calibrates the prosthetic limb to respond to simple commands: open, close, pinch and grip. And while artificial limbs usually cost anywhere from $6,000 to $30,000, Mizo printed his first prosthetic arm for less than $20. Now Mizo hopes to partner with an amputee organization in Sudan to start fitting his prosthetic limbs onto patients. Forbes

mHealth Rising More than 100,000 children in Kenya have had vision screenings via a mobile phone app called Peek. Drones controlled by tablets have helped researchers investigate the spread of malaria in Malaysian Borneo. In Cambodia, voice mails have encouraged women to use contraception. As more of the developing world gains access to mobile phones—an estimated 5.5 billion people will be using them by 2021—millions more are likely to benefit from these and other efforts of mHealth: the use of mobile and wireless tech to achieve health objectives. As smart phones become more ubiquitous than access to bank accounts and running water, mHealth experts see the potential for even more health innovations. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine WATER AND SANITATION

Loo Story Yes, the name of the film is “Toilet: A Love Story.” Yes, it is, in part, about open defecation—a real life problem in India, where 60% of the billion-plus population lacks access to a bathroom. It is also a hit. Though some have criticized it as thinly veiled government propaganda, it has pulled in £10 million in its first 6 days. And it’s not the first Bollywood film to tackle a sometimes taboo subject. A-List Bollywood actors and directors are taking on such issues as menstrual hygiene and erectile dysfunction. “In this day and age the subject of a film has to be novel,” says singer Ayushmann Khurrana. “The hero has to be relatable.” The Guardian

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ZIKA

Comprehension Fights Confusion The 2015–2016 Zika outbreak fueled fears, panic and a search for information, but the reading level of communications from the WHO and the CDC was often too high to make them useful to many people, according to a new study in BMJ Global Health. Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem surveyed Google search trends during a year-long period and examined press releases from the health organizations. They found that WHO materials were written at a graduate-school level, and the CDC’s required a high-school education. Researchers suggest that more timely, accessible and advice-oriented bulletins could help mitigate risk, improve infection control and relieve public anxiety during future epidemics. The Jerusalem Post Related: Zika has all but disappeared in the Americas. Why? – Science Related: Evidence shows mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika virus may have colony in Ontario – CBC (Canada) ARSENIC

Dangerous Waters About 40 million people in Bangladesh—1/4 of the population—are exposed to drinking water containing arsenic, leading to as many as 43,000 deaths each year. But this public health crisis, considered one of the world’s largest, is little known outside of scientific circles, and is often met with complacency or hopelessness inside Bangladesh. Even though scientists agree that drilling deeper wells would solve most of the contamination, the political will to execute such projects does not exist. Undark FAMILY PLANNING

Birth Control Backlash A sex ed scandal in Egypt highlighted increasing tension between tradition and practicality when a group of Egyptian university students created a sex ed magazine for a project and faced media outrage. Sex ed was eliminated from schools in 2010, but officials have begun warning of a population explosion—a projected 140 million people by 2030—that will create an untenable situation for Egypt’s infrastructure and economy. With a lack of available contraceptives and education, the population expands by about 1 million births every 6 months. Major General Abu Bakr al-Gendy, head of Egypt’s national statistics center, says both will be key to curbing rampant population growth. The Guardian

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WAR ON DRUGS

Seeking Spiritual—and Practical—Support Catholic churches have moved to fill the spiritual and practical void left in the wake of the more than 14,000 killings associated with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs. Churches have trained pastoral workers in grief counseling, raised funds to cover funeral costs and living expenses, and even served as sanctuaries for those evading authorities. “We cannot let these killings continue,” says Bishop Pablo David. “We will lose our conscience and our soul.” Still, Duterte boasts an 84% approval rating and—while 90% of the population is Catholic—the church’s influence has been tarnished in recent years by scandal. This has made it challenging, some priests say, for the church to make a unified stand. Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting GENETIC SCREENING

Complicated Counsel 67% of US pregnancies flagged with a chromosomal abnormality are terminated. In Iceland, that number is almost 100%. With the rise of screening for genetic disorders, the island nation has nearly eradicated Down syndrome births. 80-85% of pregnant women identified as “high-risk” opt for the Combination Test (the age of the mother, an ultrasound and a blood test) to screen for abnormalities. Officials admit that the 3-pronged test yields about 85% accuracy. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with aspiring to have healthy children,” says geneticist Kari Stefansson, “but how far we should go in seeking those goals is a fairly complicated decision.” CBS News MATERNAL HEALTH

Unnecessary Procedures Wealthy women in Bangladesh are driving a C-section boom, which has led to an increase in the rate of the procedure from 4% in 2004 to 23% in 2014. Some put the rate as high as 30% today. And it isn’t health considerations driving the surge: The non-profit Save the Children estimates that 6 out of 10 C-sections, or 570,000 annually, are medically unnecessary. While the procedure is faster and nets more profits for physicians, it also puts babies and mothers at risk for infections, excessive bleeding, organ damage and blood clots. Save the Children is hoping to curb the number of unnecessary C-sections through an information campaign and by encouraging more midwife training. Asian Correspondent SURGERY

Mismatched Skills The surgical needs of poor countries—especially in OB/GYN and orthopedics—match up poorly to the skills of altruistic US-trained general surgeons most eager to volunteer, a new paper in

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World Journal of Surgery shows. As surgical training in the US has grown increasingly specialized, the skills most needed in humanitarian medicine overseas are no longer taught in surgical rotations. Only 0.1% of general surgery residents in the study, for example, are trained in performing C-sections—the most common surgical need in MSF missions. Surgeons who have worked in low-resource settings are stepping up with special training modules—but so far the need far outpaces the opportunities. NPR Goats and Soda Related: Surgery must be a core part of health care – even in the poorest countries – The Guardian MALARIA

Venezuela’s Malarial Mining In the Venezuelan mining town of Las Claritas, Jose Grifon is sick with malaria again. He says he’s had it 40 times. The sign on the clinic door says “malaria treatments are not available until further notice.” Grifon is just one of the 1 million Venezuelans predicted to suffer from malaria this year—almost 4X the number of infected last year, according to the Venezuelan Society on Public Health. Officials blame the economic crisis for a shortage of medicines, but illegal mining (which some say benefits the government) has worsened the malaria outbreak, which is spreading to cities and perhaps neighboring countries. Al Jazeera

Bill Gates’s Quiz vs. Malaria After giving $4.6 billion to his foundation in June, Bill Gates unveiled plans for a new attack on malaria with a new twist. The Gates Foundation has teamed up with World Vision to give away 1 mosquito net for each person who reads his new blog post called “Mosquito Wars” and takes a quiz. Forbes CANCER Knowledge is Power Cancer now causes 1 in 6 deaths worldwide, with about 70% occurring in low- and middle-income countries. That has created a critical need for patient education, particularly in East Africa. Enter the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, which was tasked by the American Cancer Society to create tailored resources in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. The resulting online toolkit offers US-based information about cancer that has been adapted for populations that sometimes believe cancer is caused by witchcraft or a curse.

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“By giving them more and better information, cancer patients can make decisions about what to do about their lives and their treatment,” says CCP’s Cheryl Lettenmaier. Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs POLICY

Science, Not Silence From the In case you missed it department: “I am a scientist, a policy expert, a civil servant and a worried citizen,” writes former Interior Department official Joel Clement in a Washington Post opinion piece from last month. “Reluctantly, as of today, I am also a whistle blower on an administration that chooses silence over science.” Clement, who previously focused on researching climate change effects on indigenous populations in Alaska, was one of about 50 senior Interior employees involuntarily reassigned recently, often to ill-fitting jobs; in Clement’s case, he was moved to an accounting position. Why? Clement believes the move was in retaliation for his public stance on climate change, intended to force him to remain quiet or quit. He has filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel and hopes it will lead to an investigation. The Washington Post (Opinion) OPIOD CRISIS

Promising Vaccines As the opioid epidemic escalates across the country, scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have debuted promising new research on a combination vaccine that offers protection from the effects of heroin and fentanyl. The research, presented at the 254th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society meeting this week, builds on work the scientists published in Journal of the American Chemical Society in June, reporting the successful synthesis of a vaccine against heroin that showed efficacy in monkeys. “There is an urgent need to discover effective medications to treat substance use disorders,” says lead researcher Kim D. Janda. American Chemical Society via ScienceDaily Related: Mapping out the causes of suicide in teenagers and children – The Washington Post Related: Fighting the Opioid Crisis with Vaccines and Better Chemistry – Scientific American REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Ineffective Sex-Ed One program that has seen a boost under the federal budget—receiving $90 million annually—is also one that studies show doesn’t work: Abstinence-only-until-marriage sex-ed. What’s more, the Department of Health and Human Services also recently announced the end to funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program.

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In fact, 2 new studies in the Journal of Adolescent Health have joined numerous others that demonstrate that abstinence-only programs are ineffective. Too often, they don’t meet standards of medical ethics, aren’t successful in getting teens to avoid sex and withhold important health information from young people. As Columbia Professor John Santelli concludes in a Washington Post analysis: “Young people need straight talk about sex.” The Washington Post ANTHROPOLOGY

Risky Remedies Chinese women’s health is often rooted in traditional practices ranging from “harmless to hazardous,” says writer Carly O’Connell. O’Connell references the death of a new mother in the Shandong province from heat stroke following a postnatal tradition of sitting under blankets and warm clothing despite hot weather. Other (less deadly) practices include avoiding cold foods during menstruation to balance “yin” energy and wearing anti-radiation maternity clothing. Ultimately, O’Connell argues, cultural sensitivity is important, but “in cases where common sense and scientific reason tell us that a certain practice is dangerous, it is time to abandon or adapt it, regardless of its place in tradition.” Asia Times (Opinion) THE AMERICAS

Taking Stock In the past few decades, nations in the Americas have had their fair share of public health crises—from Zika to increased incidences of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cancer. The region’s stability will rely heavily on how we respond to current problems and tackle new ones. In this Q&A, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) director Carissa Etienne and epidemiology professor and 22-year PAHO veteran Carlos Castillo-Salgado discuss lessons learned and the way forward. “The root causes of the health issues that we must respond to are the poverty, inequity, social exclusion and the lack of access to the social determinants of health,” Etienne says. Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine

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_____ My Thanks! _____ I hope you have found this issue to be informative and helpful in your work. Please send me any information you’d like posted in upcoming issues. This Newsletter and mailing are a manual process, so if you would no longer like to receive it, just send me an email. You can join our Facebook Group and interact with over 5200(!) likeminded individuals at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CenterForGlobalInitiatives/ And if you’d like to support the Center’s work with a tax deductible donation, that would be fantastic (!) and do a great deal: http://centerforglobalinitiatives.org/donateNow.cfm Recent issues are available at: https://issuu.com/dr.chrisstout/stacks/577856a9735e495789edd71fdc63ede7 All past issues are archived at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/257831147393441584/ If any of the URLs do not work in that format, just email me for the desired back-issue. Cheers, and thank you for your work, Chris http://DrChrisStout.com Founding Director, http://CenterForGlobalInitiatives.org LinkedIn Influencer: https://www.linkedin.com/today/posts/drchrisstout American Psychological Association International Humanitarian Award Winner, http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec07/rockstar.html